Chrysalis Vineyards to Add Creamery and Bakery

Chrysalis Vineyards near Middleburg will invest $478,000 and hire 12 people to open a creamery and bakery, giving visitors the chance to buy locally produced cheeses, breads, and wines on-site.

The winery also plans to purchase 100 percent of its agricultural ingredients from Virginia farmers. Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the project Thursday, Sept. 28 alongside $48,000 in matched funding from Loudoun County and the governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.

“All of us here are honored and proud to be part of the long history of productive agriculture in Loudoun County,” said Chrysalis Vineyards owner Jennifer McCloud. “Over the last decades, unfortunately, much of the farming activity in the county has waned. This grant supports our mission to help restore this essential use of our lands.”

McCloud said it’s smart for government to support businesses that bring healthy food, jobs, and economic activity in their communities.

“It’s a win-win, not only for all the hard-working folks on this farm, but for our customers, suppliers and fellow local businesses, as well,” she said. “It’s certainly a smart way to increase economic activity by revitalizing profitable agricultural and preserving open spaces for the public to visit and enjoy.”

McAuliffe said the news “under underscores the crucial role that agriculture plays” in Virginia.

“Investments like this create jobs, tourism activity, and new markets for Virginia’s farmers,” McAuliffe said. “This new facility will be a unique addition to the rural agritourism assets in rural Loudoun County. Today’s announcement is a great win for Virginia’s agriculture industry and our ongoing efforts to build the new Virginia economy.”

“Loudoun County wines compete on the global stage, and Chrysalis is no exception—they currently have the largest planting of Norton wine grapes in the world,” said Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Basil Gooden said Chrysalis is the largest producer of the Virginia native grape, and “with a new creamery and bakery, the company is further highlighting the industry’s deep connection to the land.”

“I am very proud of the commitment Jenny McCloud and her outstanding team at Chrysalis Vineyards has brought to Loudoun County, the Wine Country of the Washington Metropolitan Area,” said Delegate J. Randall Minchew (R-10). “Through her efforts, the Norton grape, Virginia’s historic native grape that thrives so well in our Commonwealth, is now yielding world-class wines at Chrysalis.”